Tuesday, 2 August 2016

Dreams are important .They are important because they make us unique ,they make us what we are today and what we aspire to be tomorrow and to some extent what we can achieve through our dreams .A life without dreams is like a plain sheet of paper ,it has no meaning , no significance !

I too have a dream –That of going to Kailash Mansarovar .Not because of any deep rooted religious sentiments but because of the untouched serene beauty of that place .Maybe the fact that it is nestled at such high altitude is what has been its savior and has helped maintain its beauty and sanctity so far.It seems as if the clear, blue waters of the Mansarovar lake seem to beckon us humans to stop ,reflect and introspect upon the enormity of the damage that we have unleashed on this earth because of our greed .

Every few weeks after the rigmarole of the city life ,I feel this urge to pack my bags and "move away "from this systematic, mechanical chaos.Or should I say " move closer "to the country land , to green meadows among clear skies and vast spaces where you could wake up to the chirping of birds .Yes, where you could wake up not just open your eyes .I remember during my stay in the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve ,the night came alive with the hooting of the owls and the non-stop chirping sounds of the crickets and even chattering of the naughty nocturnal monkeys .At dawn, as the rays of the morning sun hit my face and woke me up ,I could hear the loud screaming of the peacocks the chirping of the sparrows ,the calls of the cuckoo and so many others that I could not even identify .I suddenly felt alive , the rays of the sun falling on my bare skin felt energizing and innervating .

As I breathe in the crisp, fresh air I want to breathe in longer and harder as if I want to store this pure air somewhere deep inside of me .I love to just lie down and repose and let all the sights , sounds and smells permeate all my senses .The feel of the soft grass under my bare feet ,the sharp smell of the small flowers blooming in abundance ,the sounds of faraway people ,animals and birds .I want these sounds to bury the other sounds that always ring in my ears like the ticking of the clocks and the honking of the horns .

There is a thrill in the wild .An anticipation, also a fear of the unknown, of what your next step may bring you face to face with .It may be a beautiful butterfly fluttering off, disturbed by the trampling of the thin flowering stems as you negotiate the winding tracks of the forest, bringing a sudden smile to your tired perspiring face .It may be a cobra, slithering off as you freeze mid track!

As I go back to my city life ,where appointments need to be fixed , schedules have to be met ,places need to be reached – all without throwing a glance around us ,I try to derive tranquility and meaning from that little bit of the forest that I am carrying back with in me .

There was once a time on earth when humans and the beasts could co-exist in harmony .I wish we could find ways to exist without being a threat to all other species on this planet and even to ourselves .I wish more and more people would wake up to the reality of this self –destruction and join in the efforts of conserving our fast vanishing forests.